Improvement in apparatus for generating gas for heating



duidt (glatte @stent @elitist Letters Patent No. 108,302, dated October11, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR GENERATINGGAS FOR HEATING.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEVI STEVENS, of Washington, in the count-y oi'Washington and District of Columbia, have invented certain Improvementsin Apparatus for Generating Gas for Heating,of which the `following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing.

My invention relates to the generation of a gas for heating purposes,composed of hydrocarbon -vapor and steam combined und fr heat andpressure, as secured to me by Letters Patent -dated February 22, 1870;and n The present invention consists ot' an improved apparatus forgenerating said gas, thc special points of novelty in this inventionheilig- First, a tube conveying the oil, located within a tubeVconveying steam, for vaporizing the hydrocarbon, super-heating thesteam, and preventing the Formation of carbon within the vaporizer. t

Second, the combination and arrangement, within the iire-charnber, ofthe generating-tubes, and a close receiver for mixing the vapors underheat and pressure.

Third, thefeomhiuation, with said receiver, of a` tube and valve forregulating the flow oi' the combined gas to the generating burner.

Fourth, a. novel construct-ion ofthe burner for genverating the gas.

, Fifth, an annular water-cintmber surroiuiding the grate; and finallyThe apparatus as a whole, connected to an oil-tank in asnitahlemanner,all ns hereinafter more fully explained.

Figure l is a transverse vertical section ot' tue ap pratns on the linex'aj of fig. 2.

, Figure 2 is av horizontal section on the line y y of aThe presentinvention is intended to utilize the combustible qualities of petroleum,or similar hydrocarbone, for heating purposes, and to do so by tirstvaporiaiug the hydrocarbon, and by mixing this vapor with steam orYhydro-oxygen in a close chamber, under heat and pressure, and therebytol produce an inflammable gas composed ofthese two vapors. united andconverted into one.

Hitherto, the greatest obstacle to the use of h vdroearbons as liquidfuel has been the fact, that carboni- 4 zation occurs iu the `pipes.,furnaces, and other parts,

wherever there sapplied to the hydrocarbon a sufficient degree of hea-tto produce-combustion, and thus ll'l short time the pipes or partsbecome so lled or coated with the carbon thus deposited as to render theapparatus useless.

To avoid this ditlicnlty, and at the same time produce a convenientapparatus for generating an infiammable gas, by the union of steam andhydrocarbonvapors, and in which the generation of the gas may -becarried on .by using a iportion ofthe gas itself as a fuel for thatpurpose, is the object of my present invention.

Lhc apparatus consists of a tubular boiler, B, the outershell or casingof which extends down below the body of the boiler far enough to form achamber er furnace for the reception of the vaporizing-tnbes,

and the receiving or mixing-vessel or chamber E, asl shown in tig. 1,there being f larger receiver or chan1' ber,D, connected with themixing-chamber E, and extending up through the center oi' the boiler Binto the smoke-chamber or dome C, a pipe, I, leading from this receiverD to convey the gasI to the point tom, I locate a grate, consisting of ametal plate having a series of short vertical tubes, e, orAair-passages, und with two vertical annular flanges around its outeredge, said anges being arranged conceptric a short distance apart, thusleaving between them an annular chamber or space, Z, as represent-ed infigs. 1 and 2.

This circular grate, within the inner flange, is to be filled withbroken.pumice-stone, brook-gravel, or any material that shall produce amass having a great number of cavities or spaces for the passage of airand gases through it.

From the center of` this grate G rises a tube, R, upon which issupported the mixing-chamber E, as shown in tig. 1.

Attached to and projecting radially from the sides of this tube R, nearits base, is a dedectingplatem, the object of which will be hereinafterexplained.

I then provide an oil-tank, O, to be located at any desired point, andconnect it to the boiler B by a pipe, f

l1', as represented in iig. 1, this pipe serving to admit steam from theboiler into the top. of the oil-tank.

Another' steam-pipe, b, connects with the pipe 11',

-or directly with the boiler, and from thence passes down to the top ofthe fire-chamber, where it is met by a smaller pipe, c, leading from thelower portion of the oil-tank, this latter or oil-pipe c enteringthrough the side of the former or steanrpipe b, asrepresentedshortdistance above the bottom, within the tank 0 asrepresentedin iig. 1,`tne object being to leave a f tank'to the grate,as shown.

lAll of these pipes, as well as the pipe I, are to be 'provided with'stop-cocks in the usual inauuer, by which thetlow ofthe oil. steam,water, -and gas .may be regulated 'at will.

. Hthin the mixing-chamber E, l placeI a vertical tube, j, which has avalve,'g,vattaehed to astem within the tube, and which stem extends downb cl'ow Y the bottom ot the grate, where it is 'connected toa lever, 11, as represented in fig'. 1, so that by opcratinpr tlxislever, thevalve l/ may be closed or opened at pleasure.

Tilo apparatus being tuus constructed, the operation is as follows:V y

A small tire is kiudlcdl in the tire-chamber, and in. a few moments the,iva te r and oil,which has been previously depositedv inv the pipes 'cand b by a condensation of the 'apors previously formed therein,-supposing the apparatus to have been in use, willbccome vaporizedgain,together with what there, may .be in the mixing-chamber, and as soon asthis vapor or gas is thus produced, the valve y may be opened,

I `when the gas will pass down the tnbef, and .flowing .ontthroughforifices in the sides of the tubes `,"and R, will be deflected by theflange or plate m, aml, passing outward among the mass ot' pumice-stoneon the grate, will become mixed .with--intlowing currents ot' air, whichAenter through the air-passages c olthe.

grate," the whole iguiting and burning in :ts-heet ol llame, over thesurface ot' the. material on th'e grate, .and thus heat-iin.: the coiland the water in the'hoiler above.A

lIn this way-steam may be raised very quickly in the boiler, and themoment that is done,the cooks a're opened, the steam let 'into theoil-tz'tnlc, and both steam and oil let into the coil. t

As theoil tlows along the inncrpipe e, it. is surrounded by .the steamin the outer pipe b, by which mea-ns it is vaporized by the time itreaches the mixing-chamber E. .'lhe oil-vapor and the steam thus bothenter the'mixing-clnunher togel ber, and'are there. Vcombined under apressure equal to that ofthe. holler, and a heat equal to -lhat ot'the't'urnace.

As the hydrocarbon in the pipe c cannot he raised above the hcatpot' thsteam which snrrountlsfit, no carboncun be termed or depositcdl in thetube c, and as the-vapor cannot be. carlmnized,more especially when.combined withsteain, it is obvious that no carbon can be deposited inVthe mixing-chamber, or at.

any other poinae'cept where thegas is consumed.

'ried and the principle of' operation still As the hydrocarooll-vaporand the steam or hydrol great variety ot purposes in nthe arts, suth asheating boilers," blastflm'naccs, and all similar uses.

'lhis gas, as it is thus produced in the mixingchamber E, flows into thereceiver D,whero it is still Vheld under the same pressure and heat, andfrom the receiver it is conveyedby the pipe I to any point desired,where it is t he burned for heatproducing purposes.v l A very smallproportion ol the gas generated-will be suticienl; to keep up the tireip the generating-furnace, and this supply can b e 4regulated bythelever h.

operating the valve y, theamount of air being regulated by avalve ordoor, r, in the base.

.lhe drip watel from the tank 0 will carry with it a small quantity ot'oil, which will rise to theurface where it will be'utilized, andiu the.grate-chambce will serve to assist in starting the tire.` .ltvv isobvious that many ot' the'details may be vabe retained.

Having thus described my invention,

what 1 claim isf l. lhe, arrangement ot' a, pipe conveying hydrocarbonwithin `a pipe-conveying steam, the outer pipe,

being subjected to hea't, so that while the steam vaporizes thelhydrocarbon, the steam itself` issuperheated prepaiatoryto the:ulmixture'ot the two vapors lo l'orin'a muv-gas, 'substantially asdescribed.

L. The. combination ot' the compound vaporizing and superheating-coilwith the chamber. E, for receiving.: and mixing,r the. steam andhydrocarbon-viipor uithin *the liunace, substantially as described.

3. 'lhc 'emnbiuatiou ot' the. mixing-ehamberE with its tube. fand valvey, arranged to operato substantially' as describcd.-

4. The burner, consisting of the glatt: (i, perforated tube di, anddetlet-tor in, arranged substantially as set 5. The grate. i, providedwith thc annular waterchamber l, substantially as described. I

(L :gas-generatinghapparatus, consisting. ol` a steam-boiler, Ji, with anrc-elnunbcr having amperizing-coil,'a 'mixing-chandler, and burnerlocattd therein, and an oil-tank connected thereto by pipes,substentiallv as and tint ,the purpose set forth.

Levi s'rovENs..

Witnesses.:

`W. C. D. onee,

PHIL. .T. Dones.

